Video protesting Polish law pulled from YouTube

Ruderman Family Foundation removes from YouTube video which sparked outrage in Poland due to its use of the term "Polish Holocaust".

Arutz Sheva Staff, 22/02/18 04:45

Auschwitz

iStock

The Ruderman Family Foundation on Wednesday removed a video from YouTube which sparked outrage in Poland due to its use of the term "Polish Holocaust" to protest the controversial new Polish law criminalizing some comments about the Holocaust, The Associated Press.

The foundation had launched a campaign calling for the United States to sever its ties with Poland over the law, which makes the use of phrases such as “Polish death camps” punishable by up to three years in prison and would apply to both Polish citizens and foreigners.

The Boston-based foundation had put out the video on Wednesday in reaction to the new Polish law.

Jonathan Ornstein, director of the Jewish Community Center in Krakow, told AP that he explained to foundation president Jay Ruderman how troubling the video was and was assured that the video would be removed. Later in the evening the video was gone from YouTube.

"The term 'Polish Holocaust' is not accepted by any reasonable person whether Jewish, Polish, Israeli or German," Ornstein said earlier, according to AP, adding, "Emotions are running high and harmful, inaccurate comments from various sides have been published, but this is indefensible.”

The Ruderman Family Foundation released a statement saying that "after a hugely successful campaign that went viral internationally and among American Jews and Israelis who have signed the petition - the Foundation was contacted by the Polish Jewish community and because of their concerns for their safety, we decided to halt the campaign."Michal Dworczyk, an aide to Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, described the video as an affront to the thousands of Poles who risked their lives during the war to help Jews.

Polish state television's all-news channel TVP Info reported it as the top story on its website, calling the video "shocking."